Literary Notices.

Among Macmillan and Co.'s most popular December books are Matthew Arnold's "Letters," which have already gone into the third edition, and Mrs. Oliphant's "Makers of Modern Rome," which is in a second edition. Lafarge's "Considerations on Painting," and Miss King's "New Orleans," have also proved very popular, both of them having gone into a second edition.

The long-promised "Life of Agassiz," by Jules Marcou, is at last announced for immediate publication. M. Marcou is the only surviving European naturalist who came with Agassiz to this country, and he was closely associated with him both in Europe and America as pupil, assistant and friend. The book brings out very clearly the identity of Agassiz both in its personal and in its scientific aspects. It goes very fully, moreover, into the details of the work of Agassiz, though treating from the point of view of a critical and dispassionate observer. Correspondence, journals and personal impressions of various sorts are freely drawn upon, and no pains have been spared to render this the definitive account of the great naturalist.